Abstract
InnovAiT is produced on a three-year cycle. However, many articles do not significantly go out of date in that time. This section of InnovAiT summarises articles from the previous cycle of InnovAiT that GPs and GPs in training might still find useful today.
Menorrhagia
Dr Ruth Bond
InnovAiT 2010 3(2): 66–70
Menstrual problems are a common experience for women. Most women with menorrhagia can be managed in primary care. This article describes presentation of menorrhagia in primary care, showing how GPs can differentiate benign menstrual disorders, such as fibroids or dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and symptoms that may suggest more significant pathology such as malignancy. It also provides step-by-step guidance on the management of patients with menorrhagia in primary care.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Dr Emma Harding
InnovAiT 2010 3(2): 71–75
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) was first recognised by Drs Stein and Leventhal in 1935. It is a common but poorly understood complex endocrine disorder clinically associated with infertility, hyperandrogenism and oligomenorrhoea. The UK prevalence is around 6–7%. In the UK, 20% of women have polycystic ovaries on ultrasound without clinical features of PCOS and, of those attending infertility clinics with anovulation, 90% have features of PCOS. This article provides an overview of how GPs can recognise PCOS and approach treatment holistically as the condition has implications for a woman's menstrual and reproductive life, physical appearance and long-term health.
Infertility
Dr Sreekala Seepana and Dr Sudhakar Allamsetty
InnovAiT 2010 3(2): 76–82
Infertility affects one in seven couples in the Western world and this figure may rise as more women are delaying parenthood. It is a major cause of psychological and marital stress and deserves to be managed as a disease entity along with more traditionally recognised diseases. This article deals with the causes of both male and female infertility, initial assessment and investigations for the couple along with general advice to help them conceive in the primary care. It also describes when referral is indicated for further assessment and investigations in a dedicated specialist infertility clinic.
Head lice infestation
Dr Aslan Mirza and Mr Aamir Shamsi
InnovAiT 2010 3(2): 85–90
Head lice infestation results from colonisation of hairy skin by Pediculus capitis, a wingless blood-feeding parasite of the order Phthiraptera. Head lice remain a significant problem as they may cause intense pruritus, and infestation is socially and psychologically stigmatising. The prevalence of infestations has been increasing and is higher in children aged 4–11 years, in parents of young children and in urban areas. Over a third of children in the United Kingdom will host head lice during any year and surveys show that one to two of every 10 children have head lice at any one point in time. This article aims to provide an overview of head lice infestation and its management in primary care.
Enuresis
Dr Laura Watson
InnovAiT 2010 3(2): 91–94
Enuresis is defined as the uncontrolled or involuntary passage of urine by day, by night or both, in a child aged 5 years or older, in the absence of physical disease. The most common form is nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting. This is a lack of night-time bladder control and accounts for 85% of children with enuresis. Daytime enuresis is rarer but is important to identify as the causes and management can differ. This article aims to provide an overview of enuresis and its management in primary care.
Crying babies
Dr Lara Barchat
InnovAiT 2010 3(2): 95–101
Persistent crying at the start of life is a common problem and has been reported by approximately 20% of parents. In most cases, no organic cause is found and crying improves by around 3–4 months. This article will describe the causes and management of persistent crying, or ‘colic’, in the first 3 months of life and GP management.